My girlfriend and 2 other mutual friends of ours were having dinner at Dome, Suria KLCC (the shopping mall located at what was formerly the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers) earlier this evening when they had an unfortunate encounter with a group of thieves.

There were three foreigners, 2 of them seat at the table behind my friends, while another posed as a tourist, approached my girlfriend’s table talking in a foreign language while gesturing at a magazine (of all things!). This was a means of distraction because right after that guy left, one of my friends reached down to his briefcase (which was on the floor), only to find it missing, along with the two chaps from the other table.

My friends went to make a report with the Suria KLCC security office, but it was an Isetan staff who found the bag in an elevator and returned it. Everything was intact (Mont Blanc pen, car keys, documents) save for RM 2 being the only thing missing. I guess the thieves must have thought they were grabbing a laptop bag and ditched it in the elevator once they found out it was the wrong bag to grab.

So be careful when you are dining out, even in a posh place like KLCC, you never know who might be out for a bag grab. And you know what, according to the restaurant staff, this was the second incident to happen in that restaurant on the same day!

“Parents must ensure they are not building a generation of fat violent kids”. Hmm. That was from an anonymous “consumer advocate” in an article for a feature that was plastered on the front page of yesterday’s News Straits Times.

The feature, titled “Are You Doing This to Your Child: From Fast Food to Video Games…We are Cultivating a Generation of Obese Kids with a Violent Bent”, and yeah, there’s that obligatory shot of GTA IV right there on the cover.

You can usually expect a ridiculous bunch of articles when you see the press appointed “poster child” on a feature such as this, but after reading the ’em, they turned up much better than the “ban everything” letter from the president of the Consumer Association of Penang.

First article, Fighting Violence. This is pretty good (except for the last line), urging parents to take charge over what they buy for their children and pay heed to ESRB ratings (there are two side articles, describing ESRB and the evolution of vidoe games savagery….look, there’s another shot of GTA IV!).

DO parents really know what they are buying when they pick up video games for their children?

Video games have ratings to warn parents of their contents but in many cases, parents and vendors are not aware of how important these ratings are, or even of their presence.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers’ Association secretary-general and chief executive of the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC), Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, said traders and buyers alike did not take the ratings seriously.

“These classifications are given by the producers of the games but when they are sold, traders rarely make it a practice to sell according to the recommended age group. They do not see how serious an impact it can have on children,” he said. Sha’ani said exposure to negative content at a very young age could affect children later in their life.

“It is similar to what happened when junk food and fast food became available to children. We are now seeing many obese children.

“Similarly, in 20 years, we may have adults who practise the wrong values,” he said. He added that it was important for parents to check the ratings of games bought by their children. “There is no law on video games. Therefore, these ratings must be actively promoted to parents.”

Another consumer advocate said the government should consider imposing rules on the sale of video games, much like the way children were not allowed to watch certain movies.

He admitted, however, it could be difficult to enforce because many of the video games on the market were pirated copies and sold “underground”.

“The onus is on parents. Just as many failed to realise the dangers posed by junk food, today’s parents are also failing to realise the dangers of violent video games and television shows,” he said.

He said the government was doing something about violence on TV by having certain programmes aired only later in the night. “However, for video games, it is the parents’ duty to ensure they don’t contain violent content. “Parents must ensure they are not building a generation of fat, violent kids.”

FYI, I’ve known kids who indulged (and they still do) in video games and still can run circles around you in a badminton court, or a squash court for that matter. I myself played games, and I can run 10 kilometers in an hour….without the urge of kicking the occasional stray dog that crosses my path. Generation of fat, violent kids? CRAP.

The second article, Video Games: Anger Management is Key, it’s a little bit lofty. I mean if my mum enrolled me into anger management classes at 5, that would have meant that I was seriously farked up. Sunday School is way better option at 5, don’t you think? Read below or click here for the original article

AGGRESSIVE behaviour is natural among adolescents, who are also more easily influenced by violent content on television and video games.

Kenneth Phun, senior lecturer in socio and educational psychology at Help University College, blames it on biology. “The prefrontal cortex of the brain, which controls executive decision-making and self-regulation, is not fully developed in adolescents.

“The amygdala, which serves as an early warning system in the brain against threats, is already highly developed and usually, in teenagers, it reacts in a very emotional way. This is why teenagers are more prone to reacting emotionally rather than rationally.”

He said corrective measures should be taken from an early age. “They need a lot of guidance and learn that they have to accept who they are. “Posting video clips on the Internet is their 10 seconds of fame. It is the vehicle for aggression. If you take that away, they will find something else.”

Phun said a tip could be taken from schools in the United States, where anger management is being taught. “They start with children as young as 5 years old and research has shown that it works. “Teenagers need a way to boost their self-esteem.”

Dr Edward Chan, principal consultant psychologist of the Malaysian Psychology Centre (MPC), agreed that it was natural for teenage boys to be aggressive. He said in tribal cultures, it was normal practice for teenage boys to go through a rite of passage into adulthood, which usually involved a violent act.

“In the tribal culture, the youngsters are guided, but here, the aggression is unsupervised, making it more dangerous. If they cannot find an accepted form, they will find alternatives,” he said. On using the Internet to “boast” about their violent acts, Dr Chan said this was a form of self-expression.

“Sites like YouTube allow them space to vent aggression. which is a natural part of growing up. This is mainly for boys and it is something we cannot suppress. “They don’t find acceptance or understanding from parents and teachers, so they look for the next best avenue, which is acceptance from their peers,” Chan said.

Video game related news seem to be getting a little bit more attention than usual in our press these days. First up was the couple of guys who got swindled after thinking that they could get Sony Playstation Portable consoles at a bulk discount.

More recently the president of the Consumer Association of Penang wrote a letter to the News Straits Times abhoring violence in video games and expounding the fact that kids can pick up violence from video games. What I’m disappointed about is that some people, and the president of CAP fail to understand that, video games have evolved to a point like film, no longer catering for kids, but for adults.

While I agree that violent video games can be a cause for concern, a ban is not feasible; might as well we start banning anything that even hints at violence and start living a hermit existence.

I do feel that parents a bigger role their parts in ensuring that their children are not exposed to such games and educating kids on moral values and such. Parents should also make it a point to research games that they are about to purchase. I doubt anyone would want to give their 12-year old a M-rated game that contains “Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Blood, Intense Violence“.

It’s funny how CAP articles sometimes urge people to read the labels on grocery items and the one thing S.M Mohamed Idris and most parents have failed to do is to read the ratings label.

I thought you guys were out to create conscious, concerned, and committed consumers?

I would love to see an article publish by CAP on how to purchase video games instead of trying to be a moral policeman going about asking stuff to be banned (on supposedly moral grounds). You can start your research by reading those labels, Mr. Mohamed.

In Malaysia, it’s pretty easy to participate in bulk purchases for anything like computer graphic cards, Blu-Ray movies, to even clothing and bags. There are many reasons to do so, namely the product is unavailable in the country or it’s cheaper to buying in a group to qualify for a bulk discount or BOTH.

Often than not, the seller, or organizer of the bulk purchase has contacts to source/provide the items by which the price is lower than that of retail.

In any case, here’s a case where two friends who participated in purchasing in bulk Sony PSPs for half the retail price with plans to sell ’em at normal price, only to have the seller abscond with their money. Read on (article originally from The Star):

Two pals cheated in ‘clearance sale’ scam

By M. SHAMINEE

KUALA LUMPUR: Two friends who thought they could profit through an online business by buying cheap PlayStations and selling them at retail price were instead cheated.

Chay Jing Fei and Loh Chee Yuen both 24, spotted a newspaper advertisement by a Mr Liew who was selling the play stations for only RM350 per unit. The market price for such machines range between RM600 and RM700.

“When I called Liew, he said it was a stock clearance sale which was why the units were cheap,” said Chay during a press conference at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department.

Chay said the man claimed that there were other benefits, including free delivery and 8GB memory cards priced at RM50. He ordered 40 units of the machine and five 8GB memory cards, including 10 units for Loh.

“Liew also said that for every 10 units we would get one unit free,” added Chay, who on Feb 20 banked in RM14,750 into Liew’s account. Liew, who promised to deliver the items by 5pm, did not turn up.

After efforts to contact Liew failed, the two lodged a report at the Ampang police station. Chay added that Liew had called him on March 2 asking him to settle the balance of RM7,000 failing which he would take legal action.

“When I told Liew that I had already made a police report, he said I won’t be able to harm him ” Chay said. Department head Datuk Michael Chong said online shopping had resulted in many fraud cases, and urged victims to provide him with their police reports or fax them to 03-2161 9772.

So do beware and be warned about bulk purchases on the Internet. Don’t rush in blindly just because the price offered is too good to be true (that’s a red light actually)

Play-Asia has a whole bunch of preowned Limited Edition Japanese Game Boy handheld consoles spanning from the GBC to the GBA SP for any deep-pocketed collector to purchase. And you are not likely to find the following on eBay.

First up, a Game Boy Color – Pokemon Center Special Edition console. Coming in white, Play-Asia is selling this at a price of USD 109.90. The specs are similar to a typical GBC console but there are embellishments to the case and face-plate. Interested? Click here for details.

Next, you have the Game Boy Pocket – Pink Tamagotchi Bundle. Like the name says, the Game Boy Pocket comes with a Tamagotchi game cartridge in matching colours. Price tag? USD 79.90. Click here for details.

Third in line is the Game Boy Advance SP Pokemon Center Limited Edition Torchic Orange. This has the Pokemon embellished on the top cover of the GBA SP. Interested? It’s selling for USD 149.90. Click here for details.

Last but not least, is the most interesting collector’s item in this list as far as I’m concerned. It’s the GBA SP – Boktai Bundle Pack. The console itself comes in a Red & Black colour combination (coffin colours so to say), along with a copy of Konami’s Boktai. Click here for purchase information.

Here’s a couple of really short videos from the start of Jason Mraz’s concert at the Stadium Negara, Kuala Lumpur on the 4th of March. Heh. Don’t mind the lousy quality. Makes you wish that you were there, no?

The amount of video game related materials that I purchased this week has surpassed even my previous record. But if you are thinking peripherals, you are wrong. Try literature instead. Yup, having decided that Arcade Mania wasn’t enough, I ordered Chris Kohler’s Power-Up from Kinokuniya on Monday evening, and it arrived on Wednesday morning. How’s that for fast?

I went to MPH earlier this evening having a gut feeling that I’ll get lucky. True enough, the only copies of the two video game magazines I only buy, Retro Gamer (Load 60) and the March issue of EDGE were available. They were in pristine despite not being wrapped in plastic unlike those generic video game magazines. It’s funny how that works out since both magazines are more expensive that almost anything else on the same shelf.

Coming home, I found a Play-Asia parcel in my mailbox, with the Classic Game Room DVD inside. I ordered this on the 24th of February and chose the free shipping option. I guess that Pos Malaysia has gotten its Mojo back, my parcels are coming in right on time.

Why no new game purchases? Well, with prices going northwards (no thanks to a weak Ringgit, and a government being in denial: “What recession? We’re not in a recession”) my purchasing power has taken a dent (or two). With high exchange rates such as what we are facing right now, I find it prudent to cash out on my web earnings (which are in USD), rather than just spend ’em all.

Besides, my brother has started buying games for the PS3, with his first title being the rock fest known as Guitar Hero: World Tour. Rock on. Psst the game is selling below RM 300 over at Play-Asia (click here for details).

Anyways, stay tuned for the upcoming The Rom Report feature. Nine Over Ten 9/10 will show you how to play Neo Geo games, on where else but your NINTENDO DS!

A friend of mine, Jack, previously dabble in selling original video game titles but have since left the business. He shared his insight on the industry in Malaysia and agreed to have them published on Nine Over Ten. This is part 2 of the interview (click here for Part 1).

Building Communities

While talking about the business of selling original video game titles, Jack touched on the subject of video game communities in Malaysia, which basically make up the bulk of customers for anyone selling original titles in Malaysia. The communities are basically capable of organizing themselves and some have organized events like last year’s Consoul and Halo 3 cinema experience.

When asked what he thought about them, Jack mentioned that these communities appeal more to the gamer mindset rather than the casual crowd, with the most active community being the Xbox 360 gamers.

On the role of retailers and distributors in building these communities, there’s still more to be done. Local distributors for the Sony and Nintendo consoles have done little more than their respective launch events and Microsoft is still no where to be seen. There are no launch events held for triple-A titles, for example Killzone 2, which is one of the highly anticipated titles of 2009.

This, stressed Jack, doesn’t indicate that there is no consumer interest in these events in Malaysia. On the contrary, evidence points at a mature market demanding the same kind of events and promotions that take place overseas.

About the Scene

One question that I had to ask Jack was what he thought about video game sellers in Malaysia. He replied that the Chinaman mentality is prevalent here. Undercutting is pretty much the way to gain customers but at the same time spoils the market price of games.

While Gamers Hideout is a standout among the many video game sellers in Malaysia, particularly the Klang Valley, it takes an elitist approach, charging premium pricing and appealing mainly to a hardcore set of gamers adamant on supporting original games. On the other hand, Gamers Hideout is also the only shop to actually participate in community building.

Last year, I noticed a small trend with some of my friends and members of a particular forum I frequent, they started their own business selling video game. While some are still selling games (and setting up real, physical stores or thriving online businesses) till this day (original titles mind you, not pirated ones), some got their fingers burnt by the business but fortunately live to tell the tale.

A friend of mine who has quit the business was a good sport when I interviewed him on the local video games retail scene, and agreed to have the interview published on Nine Over Ten. Since he wishes to keep a low profile, lets just call him Jack.

Profit Margins

On the subject of profit margins, Jack has only one thing to say, there’s no point in doing the business if you can’t get the sales volume up as the margin is not worth it. He adds that the lowest one can earn per title would be RM 15 and while selling that way will set you up as a “nice guy” offering low prices, you’ll still need to get your sales volume moving northwards.

Since his operation was a one-man show and without a physical shop, I ask whether his profit margin was any different from that of the typical brick-and-mortar store. Jack replied it really depends on the cost of the game, which defers per title. Most suppliers would offer a bulk deal such as getting a free game per every 10 game purchase. This is how video game sellers adjust their cost and therefore their profit margins.

Suppliers

Some local distributors would try and push titles by making resellers take B-list titles along with A-list title orders. This, in Jack’s case, actually caused him to lose money as those B-list titles weren’t actually hot sellers.

Jack also revealed some insight on dealing with suppliers/distributors, which I found to be rather straightforward. Resellers basically place their orders and the supplier will try to fulfill the order. Try is the operative word here as in the case of hot titles, small time resellers are allocated much less stock compared to large retailers and sometimes even lower than what their initial order specified. There’s no credit facility offered so retailers will pay up on placing an order.

Some suppliers might impose a minimum quota such as 10 titles per order, but this is more of an exception rather than the norm. As for delivery times, the supply chain is pretty much well set up in Malaysia, with games arriving on their respective release dates.

To be Continued

Stay tuned for the next installment of this interview, where Jack describes customer behaviour, video games piracy and video game communities in Malaysia!